A new isolate of Melolontha melolontha entomopoxvirus in Turkey: Morphology, infectivity and prevalence in the field

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Sezen K., Demirbag Z.

APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY, vol.41, no.3, pp.471-477, 2006 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 41 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2006
  • Doi Number: 10.1303/aez.2006.471
  • Journal Name: APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.471-477
  • Keywords: biological control, entomopoxvirus, Melolontha melolontha, insect virus, ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY, COLEOPTERA, VIRUS
  • Karadeniz Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

A virus infection caused by Melolontha melolontha L. (Coleoptera: Scarabacidae) entomopoxvirus (MmEPV) was recorded in 0.87% of 1,260 larvae collected in 2001-2002 in Trabzon, Turkey. The diseased larvae had dark brown or black and white spots, compared to the normal white-cream colour of healthy larvae. MmEPV infections reduced the larval life span from 6 mo to 15 +/- 5 d (Mean +/- S.D.). Based on light and electron microscopic observations, the average length of the spheroids was 5.45 +/- 2.34 mu m (Mean +/- S.D.) and the average width was 2.89 +/- 1.13 mu m (Mean +/- S.D.) (n = 50). The presence of a virus was also demonstrated in a DNA-DNA hybridization assay. The bioassays carried out to determine the infectivity of MmEPV proved its effectiveness against the third-instar larvae of the M. melolontha. The highest insecticidal activity determined in the M. melolontha larvae was 93.3% at the concentration of 7.5x10(6) spheroids/ml. Our results suggest that a Turkish isolate of MmEPV is promising for biological control of the M. melolontha larvae.